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both really anxious about Nessie, there came the shriek of the evening train and a moment later, the rumble of the cars slowing up for the station.

A solution of their riddle flashed on Abner.

"She's goin' off on the train!" he cried, and the next moment dashed out of the hotel, up the dark street toward the station.

The teamster sprinted along at top speed because he knew that the train tarried at Irontown only two or three minutes. If he did not reach it in time Nessie would be borne away from him for ever. Now that he was about to lose her his whole desire focussed on marrying her. He ran down the block full tilt, whipped around the corner at the garage. Here four or five voices shouted at him, but he paid no attention to them. The street from the garage corner was unpaved and sloped down an incline. Abner drove down it at enormous strides, his feet plopping against the ground. As he ran he could hear the slow panting of the locomotive as it stood at the station; then a turn in the dilapidated street showed him the brilliant glare of the headlight washing the track in front and a string of faintly illumined car windows behind it. Against these lights moved silhouettes of people. Forward on the platform he could sense the movement of freight and baggage. He was running harder than ever when he heard the conductor shout, "All aboard!" and the bell began ringing.

Abner was halfway down the hill. Without realizing what he was doing he began yelling, "Wait, conductor! Hold on! For God's sake, wait!"

The measured puffs of the engine answered him. The glowworm of the cars moved off after the brilliant torch of the headlight. As the train gathered speed the rumble of the cars reasserted itself. Abner came to a halt.

He stood panting in the darkness, feeling tremulous and empty as if someone had torn out his bowels by some painless but numbing operation. There seemed to be nothing further for him to do—or think. Presently he realized that